Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-02-24
MYSTERIOUS CASE.
A SOUTH SIDB MAN SUDDENLY DISAPPEARS
SOME TINE SISCB.
lanes Kils Dies and a POSt MOrtsm Examination IS
Mads-JObn l. Wagne's Body Found
In the River.

If which were not made known at the time
or the occurrence. About two weeks be-
fore the city election John W. Smith, q cigar
maker. who resided with his mother at 2l2l
Market street, and worked at the estab-
lishment of MUM & Brandfass, received a
severe blow on the head, the assailant
being unknown.
He was found by a friend lying on a
porch in Alley A, between Twenty-hrst
and Twenty-secOnd streets, and 1t was re-
ported, although not learned definitely
that Smith had gone to the house while
under the influence Of liquor and at
tempted to gain admittance. The woman
ofthe house came out with a poker in her
hand and let him have the full force Of a
blow from it across the head, which
knocked him senseless. 1t IS said he lald
in an unconcious state for about two hours
when discovered by his friends, who took
him to Menkemeller's drug store, where
the wound was dressed.
After this, Smith, who had previously
been a rather bright man, became gloomy
and began to drink heavier than he had
ever done, and was confined to the house
some time, attended by q doctor.
He was afterwards able to go about, but
his friends noticed that he was greatly
changed and acted rather strangely, but
did not think much of the matter until
one morning in the early part OF January
he was found missing, n al
though the closest inquiry was
made and the police were informed, no
trace of the missing man could he found.
Not long since Smiths mother heard that
a man answering her sons name and de-
scription had been arrested in Ohio as a
wanderer, and she telegraphed to that
point, but the person was not her son and
nothing has been heard of him since.
An intimate friend of Smiths was seen
Yesterday and he said that it was his opin-
ion that Smith had become craZed from
with the liquor he had been drinking,
quite unsettled his reason, and he thinks
he committed suicide By jumping
into the river as no trace
of him has been found. How
ever, the family are of the opinion that the
young man has merely wandered of and
will return. In the meantime no one has
been prosecuted for the blow Smith re-
ceived, as no one saw it, and he never
seemed to be communicative on that point.
Yesterday morning, shortly before noon,
James Kile, the man who was struck on
the head with a brick several weeks since,
by an unknown assailant, fracturing his
skull, a full account of which appeared in
Yesterday mornings REGISTER, died at
his home. 1t is understood the
family wanted TO bury him quietly
but Health Officer Reed objected, and
notified Coroner Schultze who consulted
Prosecuting lAttOrney Jordan as to the
ACCESSIBILITY of holding a post norton exam
inatiOn on the body, which step was
decided on.
DR.. Wilson was notified, and he, assisted
by Drs. Reed, Baird, Robert j. Reed,
Stifel, Hoge and Taylor made the exam
nation yesterday afternoon. The body
was most thoroughly dissected, and the
crown OF the skull was taken off when
about three ounces of pus was found in the
brain. The object of this thorough exam
nation was to ascertain if the injury to
the brain was the Casue of paralysis
from which the patient suffered previous
TO his death.
The result of the investiga-
ton was not made known
yesterday, but the report will be made out
in writing and presented at the Coroner's
examination to- day, which will be held at
the City Building at 3 o'clock before a
Jury which will be summoned for that pur-
pose this morning.
The murdered man leaves a wife and
two children in rather Door circumstances,
who have the sympathy of the community
and should have their support to some ex-
tent. No clue has yet been discovered
that will lead to the arrest of the guilty
parties. An attempt was made yesterday
to discover some information concerning
the affair but it seems to be clOuded in
mystery, ~ no one in the part of town in
which the murder, if murder it is, took
place seems TO have heard anything about
it, or if they have they keep their mouths
closed.
About 4:30 o'clock yesterday afternoon
Ferdinand Pappert, who was engaged in
fishing in the river opposite the B. 4 G.
machine shops, with a seine made 4 haul
and found that he had fished up a human
body from the river bed. At the point
where the body was found, which is just
above the mouth OF Caldwell's run, there
is an eddy, which c~aughtand prevented the
body from floating further down.
Mr.. Pappert Immediately pulled the
body into shore and notified the Coroner,
who made an examination and found that
the body was that of John l.. Wagner, the
driver who was drowned at the wharf last
Friday afternoon. The news was conveyed
TO his brother who had the body taken to
Friend &SOn's undertaking establishment,
where Coroner Schulze held an inquest
last evening, examining only one witness,
Henry Becker, the man who swan out and
attempted to save Wagner. He identified
the body Of Wagner and related the cir
cumstances as printed in the REGISTER the
next day. A verdict was rendered in &C
rordance with his testimony.
The body is in a good state of preserya-
ton for having been in the water so many
days, and has no Disagreement with the
exception of a scar across tue upper part of
the nose.
The funeral will take place from the res
idence of his father, G. +. Wagner, No. 80
Eighteenth street, this afternoon at 2
o'clock. Interment at the Peninsula Gem
etery.
Yesterday morning Mrs. James Frank,
of Tw%enty-siXth street, awoke and found
that her bright four-months-old baby girl,
who had slept by her side, had died during
the night, unknown to her. 4 doctor was
summoned, but the baby was found to have
been dead several hours. Coroner Schultze
was notified and he held an inquest. From
the testimony Of the mother it seems the
child was subject to sudden attacks Of
collie, and she supposed that it had been
seized with one ofthese attacks during the
night, which caused its death, and a YER
dict was rendered accordingly.
BENWOOD.
The plate mill is now run by natural
gas.